00:00Let's bring in Mary Kay Cabot. There's a lot of juice behind her. She joins us on the Wiseheart
00:05Right. We make it right. Call Kyle Wright hotline. Mary Kay Cabot from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
00:09and Cleveland.com. Mary Kay, good morning. Let me ask you this. You know, they had Albert Breer
00:15on yesterday and, you know, they're talking about different things in the afternoon about,
00:20you know, what they'd like to do with this Browns team as we get ready to see the schedule later
00:24on
00:24tonight. And I think we're kind of caught in a crossroads because I think there's a lot of
00:29people playing and going, Hey, you know, they don't really believe in the quarterback situation.
00:32Maybe they should lay down and get ready for 2027. I'm going, man, this is not a team that's acted
00:37like they are getting ready to lose some football games in 2027, considering who they hired and
00:42everything else they've done. Are you reading tea leaves that they believe that they're
00:46more competitive than what a lot of people think they are? Absolutely. 100%. The organizational
00:54philosophy heading into 2026 is to win as many games as possible. This is not about the 2027 draft
01:03pick. This is not about developing a young quarterback. This is about winning and their
01:09guiding light in terms of choosing their starting quarterback will be based on that philosophy.
01:15If it's Shador, fine. If it's Deshaun, fine. It's going to be whoever gives them the best,
01:21best chance to win. And that is because they have a roster that can win some football games
01:26this season. If they have a quarterback that can pull it together and it doesn't have to be a top
01:31eight quarterback. It can be a top 16 quarterback, but they need good quarterback play to win some
01:38football games. So yes, I think absolutely 100%. That's where they're going with this, this season.
01:44I've heard Jimmy Haslam absolutely say it at the owners meetings that he expects them to win more
01:49games this season than five. And that is the way that they are going. They are trying to win. That's
01:56why they're not trading Miles Garrett. That's why they haven't traded any of their other quality
02:01veterans. They're going out there to try to win games. Mary Kay Cabot joining us on the show. So
02:06then I have to follow it up with this. Give me a percent chance. June 1st is coming up in
02:11two and a
02:11half weeks. What are the chances that Miles is still a Cleveland Brown after June 1st, when the season is
02:20going on? I would say pretty darn close to a hundred percent. You can never say never, but Andrew Barry
02:28has been adamant and Jimmy Haslam has been adamant about the fact that they're not trading Miles Garrett,
02:33that they do feel like they're poised to kind of take off once they figure out the quarterback
02:38situation. I mean, if this team grows up a little bit this year and then a little bit more next
02:44year,
02:44they should be able to win some significant games next year if they have a quarterback. This year,
02:50maybe they can flirt with eight. Maybe they can flirt with nine. Maybe they can remain in the conversation
02:55for a wild card spot deep into the season and then really kind of take off next year. Well, Miles
03:01is still
03:01going to be Miles Garrett next year, and they don't want someone else to benefit from that. They
03:08want that for themselves. So I would say right now at this point, still pretty close to a hundred
03:14percent. All right, Mary Kate, does it matter to you how often people have talked about the upcoming
03:21schedule this year and how, quote, easy it's going to be when we know the NFL, there is such a
03:28topsy
03:29turvy way that the bad teams turn into good teams, the good teams turn into bad teams yearly.
03:35Well, when I've looked at their opponents from, you know, for 2026 and some things that happened
03:42in 2025, you got five teams on that slate that went eight and nine. And some of those teams had
03:50quarterback issues where they lost their quarterback for the season like the Falcons did.
03:55Michael Penix missed the final eight games. You look at the Colts and Daniel Jones ruptured in
04:01Achilles and missed the final four games. Those teams were on the cusp of making the playoffs.
04:06So yes, the Browns are only facing three winning teams from 2025 and three teams that made the
04:11playoffs. But there are extenuating circumstances when you look at what these teams might possibly
04:17become in 2026. You've got John Harbaugh coaching the Giants. You'll have Jackson Dart in his second
04:25season. We all, I think, know what John Harbaugh is capable of when he's coaching a football team.
04:31You've got two other 2025 draft picks that are quarterbacks moving into their second seasons
04:39in Cam Ward with the Titans and Tyler Shuck with the Saints. So those guys could make that second year
04:47leap. Perhaps you look at the Raiders, you've got Fernando Mendoza, who knows what he'll be able to do
04:52in his first season. So strength of schedule doesn't always hold up the way that it looks at the
04:58beginning of the season. And I think there are some reasons to believe that maybe it might not be
05:02quite as easy as it looks. Do you think Todd Munkin and the coaching staff would prefer every week
05:09at one o'clock? And conversely, what does Jimmy Haslam want?
05:14Well, of course, you want your team to be in prime time. You want your players to get that kind
05:18of
05:18exposure so that they make Pro Bowls and things like that. You want to be contending. You want to
05:23be out there. And Jimmy is certainly someone who wants to show that he's doing a good job. So I
05:30think
05:31that them being back in prime time is absolutely something they're hoping for. And I would think
05:37that by next year, they'll get some of those premium games. Not Sunday night football, though.
05:46Well, it could be Tuesday night football by next year.
05:51I like the song waiting all day for Sunday night. I'm like, man, I've done that one time in the
05:56last
05:56decade. And it sucks. I don't want to wait all day for Sunday night ever again. Mary Kay Cabot
06:00joining us on the show. Yeah, real quick, what do you think of the Thanksgiving Eve game, the
06:04Thanksgiving Day games, the three slate and then the the Black Friday game? Are you going to ignore
06:09your family? Yes. It's going to be very interesting. But with more and more international
06:17games and with the NFL heading towards 18 games, I think it's just something that we all have to get
06:22used to. Now, I will say this. I love it when there's a football game on and I don't have
06:27to be
06:27actually there covering it and I can watch a game. So when I have those opportunities, I really enjoy
06:34them. So I really actually don't mind some of those games. And I love watching games on the
06:39holidays again when I'm not covering them. So I don't mind all of that. I mean, bring it on for
06:47me in terms of NFL games. I would watch one at, you know, of course, 930 in the morning on
06:52a Sunday.
06:53Could the schedule at all dictate who starts a quarterback for this football team?
07:01No, I don't think so. Like I said, I think this team made a decision at some point this offseason
07:07where they said, look, we have enough here to go out and win some games. They successfully
07:13completely overhauled their offensive line. Not an easy thing to do in one offseason, but they managed
07:18to do it. They kept their defense largely intact and added some key other pieces. They've got some
07:25guys growing up over there too, a little bit in Carson and Mason heading into their second seasons.
07:29And then they added their skill players and whatnot. So no, I think that, uh, that they really did
07:37decide at some point this offseason, I think they probably sat down and, and actually made the
07:44conscious decision. We have enough to win here. So let's go out and see what we can do. And that
07:50will
07:50be, uh, the guiding light. And once again, we don't know who that's going to be yet. Just because
07:55someone is ahead right now or emerged ahead, as I reported recently, doesn't mean they're going to
08:02stay ahead. That's why it's a competition. So let's see how it plays out. But whoever Todd
08:08Munkin feels can go out there and, and win the most games is going, is who is going to win
08:13this job.
08:13All these leaks keep coming out. How much intrigue would there be if we opened up at home with
08:18the Falcons week one? Well, I think that's one of the more intriguing games, uh, on our podcast
08:24yesterday, we kind of ranked and spotlighted some of the more intriguing non-AFC North games. And that
08:30was certainly one of them. Uh, so Kevin Stefanski coming back here to the lakefront, especially if,
08:36uh, if Shador is starting, I think that that would, uh, bring a lot of drama and fireworks and emotions
08:42out. So, you know, that one could be very, very interesting. Uh, but there are others. I think
08:48there are a lot of, uh, there are a few grudge matches and some, some really key matchups.
08:52All right, Mary Kay, I want to ask you one question. We have a list now because like John,
08:57our wonderful young producer working his ass off and he keeps sending us clips of all these
09:03different people coming out of the woodwork of who should start at quarterback for the Browns this
09:07year. And the latest one was Bernie. Bernie's obviously not came out of the woodwork, but Lima
09:11asked the question going, okay, guys, when do we put a lid on it? Because we can't keep having the
09:16same conversation about who should start every day when it comes to all these different guys.
09:21So when do we put a lid on it? So Bernie is in the club of people who can give
09:26their opinion on
09:27who we care about, who give their opinion on who should start, right? I had the fans, the callers,
09:32which are the same thing. I had all Cleveland sports media, weekend hosts, full-time hosts,
09:37doesn't matter. You, Lloyd, everybody, right? Bernie, Joe Thomas, John Greco, Herb Street,
09:44da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. Gotta get Hoyer on there too.
09:46Hoyer. Yes, I'm putting Hoyer on the list. Let me ask you this, Mary Kay. Should
09:52Johnny Manziel, should his opinion be on the list of people we care about and we play on the radio
09:59of who should start for the Cleveland Browns at quarterback this year?
10:03Well, here's the thing. When I hear all of these people weighing in on who should start
10:08at quarterback this year, the key thing is none of those people really know the inner workings of
10:15what is going on with this football team. Even though some of them used to play for this football
10:20team, maybe some of them used to coach this football team, nobody really knows exactly what
10:26is going on in that film room. Nobody knows what's going on in the meeting rooms. Nobody knows who is
10:32taking the coaching. People don't know this. So everybody can have an opinion. And when it comes
10:40to my opinion, my opinion in saying that they should just have named Deshaun QB1 to let this thing get
10:49going, it was just about that. It was about the process of getting the first team working
10:55together. If I had been told or in my reporting discovered that the door was nicely ahead and
11:03doing a really nice job in all of these practices and getting the first team reps and looking like
11:07maybe he's going to win the job, then I would have said the same thing about him.
11:12The same thing. Let him go out there and get the work done with the starters. That's what it's
11:18about. But none of these other people that are weighing in on this and so vociferously talking
11:24about this, they don't know what's going on. So none of those opinions really, truly matter.
11:30It really matters what's going on inside those walls in Berea.
11:34So is that a no for Johnny Manziel?
11:39It's kind of a no for all of them.
11:40Oh, I love it. I love it. No, I dig. I dig, Mary Kay. That's fine. I just wanted to
11:46know
11:46because the more I think about it, the more like, eh, maybe I should put Johnny in there,
11:49but I don't want to. Okay.
11:50Oh, I just had a quick question just because JC Tretter and the Players Union, they are noticing
11:55that the World Cup venues are going away from taking notice of the grass surfaces at World
12:02Cup. Like they're going to grass surfaces when they wouldn't otherwise have been. So the NFL,
12:06they're getting turf, but then for the soccer matches, they're going to grass. Is this something
12:13that the Haslam's would be open to or is it just going to be artificial turf no matter what?
12:19Well, I think the, you know, the NFL PA is making the union is making a huge, huge push
12:28towards grass. So I think that's going to be a big issue over the next couple of years.
12:32And I'm sure that JC and the players are going to push really, really hard for that. And I'm sure
12:37there's data to support it. So it's definitely something to watch. And I would think that,
12:42yes, that Jimmy would be open to that. I don't know for sure yet. I haven't asked him that,
12:47but I would think he would be.
12:48We said you would answer this. I want to play this Charles Barkley right after the Cavs game.
12:52I know you watch all Cleveland sports. So here is Mary Kay. Here is Charles Barkley
12:57about Max Struess in the post game on inside the NBA on ESPN last night. Hit it.
13:02Max Struess played great. I'm thinking what everybody's saying. That's a pretty man.
13:07I don't think everybody's thinking, man.
13:11Can I ask you a question?
13:12Can I ask you a question?
13:13Yes, you can.
13:14What are you attracted to him about him?
13:16I'm not attracted to him, but I can hear you.
13:18You said he's attractive.
13:19He's a good looking man.
13:20What are you attracted about his good looks?
13:22His face.
13:23His face?
13:24His face. He's a good looking man.
13:25He's a ponytail too. You like the ponytail?
13:27You like the fact that he's wearing a headband?
13:30He's a ponytail?
13:31He's a t-shirt?
13:32I told y'all about it.
13:33He's a t-shirt?
13:33I told y'all. I don't believe in a man bun thing.
13:36But he's a t-shirt?
13:37But you're able to overlook that.
13:40Hey, listen, man. Don't behave. That's a pretty man.
13:42We don't just value your opinion on sports.
13:45We value your opinion on everything, and people know that.
13:47We've asked you wild questions throughout our history together.
13:51Heather, is Max Struess good looking, a pretty man?
13:55Because there was actually a vicious debate off the air about this in this studio.
14:00Oh, I wish I could have heard that.
14:02I did hear that live last night, and I was laughing so hard.
14:06I thought that was the funniest exchange, especially when one of them said,
14:10Bert, I'm surprised that's your takeaway from this interview.
14:14So I thought it was so funny, but I will say this.
14:19It's not the first time that it has been brought to my attention
14:23that perhaps Max Struess is aesthetically pleasing.
14:28Whoa!
14:30There you go.
14:31There you go.
14:32Mary Kay, thank you so much.
14:35So wait, you have people texting you about Max Struess?
14:38Me, yes.
14:40I think he's taken right now.
14:42I saw his girlfriend before one of the games, so I don't think Max is a free agent.
14:49Remember the bachelorette a few years ago who was scorned on the actual show?
14:54She was hollering at Max Struess as well.
14:58Now, again, just to clarify here, I'm not saying that I think that Max Struess is a pretty man.
15:04I'm saying that it has been brought to my attention before last night by people that I know
15:10that perhaps, maybe, he is a good-looking man.
15:15And I will also say that I think that Charles Barkley spoke for a lot, a lot, a lot of
15:21women in Cleveland.
15:22Mary Kay Cabot.
15:24On the Wise Heart Right We Make It Right, Call Kyle Right Hotline.
15:27Mary Kay, thank you so much.
15:29Thank you, guys.
15:30Mary Kay Cabot joining us on the show.
15:32Outstanding as always.
15:34Outstanding as always.
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